#yes I know he's a Sparta and not a gladiator

[raccoongrippers]

I got bored, as one does in the middle of the frickin' night, waiting for a festival the next morning, so I read through every single comic I own (again), and wanted to draw the gladiators (Spartas, not actual gladiators, they just have nearly the same helmets) from 'Three' (comic book by Gillen Kelly and Bellaire Cowles). Here's how it went:

(Again, ignore my absolutely atrocious photography, my phone is ass.)

Anyway, I decided that Ghost from CoD would probably look good in a glad. helmet, so I might draw that eventually, who knows. I've seen another artist on Tumblr do it, but I have not attempted it myself. Bye y'all.

Have a lovely day❤

[everygame]

God of War: Ghost of Sparta (PlayStation Portable)

Developed/Published by: Ready At Dawn, SCE Studio Santa Monica / Sony Computer Entertainment Released: November 2nd 2010 (original) Completed: May 2018 Completion: Finished it. Trophies / Achievements: n/a “Hang on, Mathew” you might be saying. “You played God of War, and didn’t even like it that much. Did you seriously immediately start playing the PSP sequel after it. Seriously.” The answer is… yes??? Imagine me making a wildly exaggerated shrug. Sometimes I get these notions, you know? Like the kind of notion where you think “I should really watch a film and then its remake back to back,” or, actually, when I played Castle of Illusion and its remake back to back! Not that this is a remake, I just happened to have Ghost of Sparta on the ol’ PlayStation Vita and I became interested in how it felt to play, considering I really didn’t like Chains of Olympus and then wasn’t that into God of War.

Is it… super weird that I liked this significantly more than the other two? I genuinely wish I could remember anything of Chains of Olympus other than that bit which I think I’m remembering from Gladiator, because playing this felt like a revelation after the really rather dull God of War. 

You know how folk go on about framerates all the time in games? I’m definitely one of those people who doesn’t understand that, and yet maybe this was at a higher framerate or something than the PS Vita’s God of War, because it just felt so… smooth. Plus the colours! Rather than the terrible washed-out renderware-esque God of War, this is set at night and the lighting is full on chef kiss by comparison. It really reminded me just how good the PSP could look—or at least, just how good the PSP looks on the PS Vita screen. It’s got a pleasing pixellyness; still recognisably an old video game, but in a way that feels exactly right. Enough about graphics though, what is this, a German PC magazine from the early 2000s? The play is the thing, as Hamlet is famously quoted in that scene where he’s explaining why Mario is better than Sonic. And in Ghost of Sparta, you do almost no block pushing. I mean, you do it here and there, but it’s so slight it’s surprising they bothered. Really no annoying slow puzzles to deal with (and when you do have to push a block, it goes faster if you’re right behind it.) It’s this that makes me wish I could remember Chains of Olympus, because I wonder—was I overly hard on it? Were there as many boring-ass puzzles as I remember??? Basically, Ghost of Sparta is very much that evolution of the mid-2000s North American action title that we’ve come so used to. It’s kind of funny to think how there’s this, well, “PlayStation” feel to games like this and the Uncharteds and so on—that expectation that you’ll do a bit of platforming, a bit of fighting, a bit of puzzling and then get some lovely set-pieces to make sure you’re never quite bored. And yes, Ghost of Sparta gets this down. Ok, sure, there aren’t quite enough big set pieces to make it all work, but it’s short and when they do happen they’re perfectly pleasant. Ghost of Sparta gets a “this is a video game I played” out of ten. Will I ever play it again? Absolutely not, but I’m worried I’ve fucked myself now because this is an interquel between God of War and God of War II, and what if it’s better than God of War II and I’m stuck with another slog instead of a pleasing incremental improvement? Final Thought: I’m definitely aware that there’s been some discussion of this online, but isn’t it weird that Kratos is definitely a black guy in the first God of War (he seems to be in the flashback cut-scenes?) that by this one they’re doing flashbacks where he’s a wee white boy??? What’s up with that, and his family being white and that too?

It’s just very odd, that’s what it is.

[freeminimaps]

4 Iconic Battlefields Everyone Should Visit

As we may all know, our history is riddled with war – with victory and defeat, with honour and cowardice, with strategic magnificence and failure-in-command. Thus, the generations of today look back at those times and bask in their echoes still. This is why we are going to explore some of the most iconic battlefields that you can visit yourself. Prepare to put on the ethereal armour, to sharpen your sword and to flex your body, for today, we ride to battle!

1. Thermopylae: We have all seen the movie “300”, haven’t we? Well, Thermopylae is the place where Spartan King Leonidas, his 300 Spartiates and 7,000 hoplites attempted to halt the advances of King Xerxes I of Persia into Greece in the year of 480 BC. Fighting valiantly at the narrow coastal pass called the “Hot Gates” for its sulphur springs (yes, it actually was a coastal passage in 480), Leonidas and his men were eventually betrayed by a local man named Ephialtes and via an alternate path, they were outflanked. Leonidas dismissed most of his army and remained behind with 300 Spartans, 700 Thespians and 400 Thebans to guard their retreat. They were overrun, of course, and the King of Sparta fell. This iconic battlefield can be visited easily as it is located between Lokris and Thessaly, funnelling the bulk of the traffic happening between the two locations. Situated proudly on the east coast of Greece, it was a pivotal place for trade and for battles in ancient times. If you happen to be visiting Greece and if you happen to rent a vehicle also, make sure you stop at the battlefield and admire the place that was the host for so many battles. In case you aren’t a history-enthusiast, know that the Hot Gates have seen more than the Greco-Persian Wars – the Gallic Invasion, the Third Sacred War, the Roman-Seleucid Wars, the Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars are all great examples to research. And let us not forget about the World War II battle only referred to as another “Battle of Thermopylae” that you might also be interested in. In any case, the location of today’s highway is where the coastline used to be in 480 BC. Definitely a must-experience!

2. Silarius River: Did you think that we would be talking about a river? Well, the Silarius is called Sele today and it is the location of the Battle of the Silarius River where Spartacus and his army of escaped slaves and gladiators fell to the legions of Marcus Licinius Crassus in 71 BC. Marking the end of the Roman Servile Wars (more specifically the Third Servile War), the battle was almost a slaughter for the armies of Spartacus. All of his generals fell on that day including Crixus, Gannicus, and Oenomaus. He himself was killed, as historians record, but his body was never found. An interesting legend says that prior to the battle, Spartacus killed his horse saying that if he should emerge victorious, he would claim many steeds but should the contrary come to pass, he would need none. Today’s Sele River is not painted in the blood of fallen warriors but it is a marvellous sight to behold. With its length of 64 kilometres and basin size of 1,200 square kilometres, one might understand why Spartacus and his armies ended up fighting there (water is life). Originating from Monti Picentini of Caposele, the river reaches into the Tyrrhenian Sea between Eboli and Capaccio. If you have a car, do consider visiting the place. Oh, and for all you movie fans out there, Spartacus’ story is exquisitely painted by the TV series “Spartacus – Blood and Sand”.

3. Kahlenberg Mountain: Have you heard heard of the Siege of Vienna in 1683 and its significant strategic elements? Fought by the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Habsburg Monarchy, and the Holy Roman Empire against the Ottoman Empire, the former alliance emerged victorious under the leadership of Polish King John III Sobieski. The Ottomans failed to take Vienna even with their dangerous attempt to blow a hole in the walls of the city. Sobieski led his famous Winged Hussars into the Ottoman ranks and obliterated them in no more than three hours. This was recorded as one of the largest cavalry charges in human history (over 18,000). If you happen to be visiting Vienna, be sure to hop over to the Kahlenberg Mountain, the iconic location where the aforementioned events took place – this is where Sobieski charged down from. Car and bus routes are the most common ones to take you there and if you are not a history-fan, then you can always visit the mountain for the view for it is simply fabulous.

4. Shiroyama, Kagoshima: Many people know about the Battle of Shiroyama from the perspective of the film “The Last Samurai”. Now that we have fixated the timeline, know that the battle was fought between horribly-outnumbered Samurai of Satsuma under the leadership of Saigō Takamori and the Imperial Japanese Army under the generals Yamagata Aritomo and Kawamura Sumiyoshi in 1877. Saigō was mortally wounded but has managed to commit Seppuku with the aid of Beppu Shinsuke. Beppu and the remaining Samurai charged into the Imperial lines and died in the process. Shiroyama Hill can be visited today and a statue of Saigō can be admired at the adjacent Kagoshima Castle ruins. Note that the valiant Samurai leader was pardoned Emperor Meiji posthumously. If you wish to see the location where Bushido was respected to the fullest and one last time, do consider basking in the honourable grandeur of the place.

Did you enjoy our list? How many of the aforementioned battlefields have you visited and how much have they inspired you? Hit the comment section below and tell us all about it for we are eager to read everything that you might share! Safe travels, warrior (wink)!

4 Iconic Battlefields Everyone Should Visit was originally published on Freeminimaps - discover authentic experiences!